The invention relates to a cup-shaped body for a capsule, the capsule containing an extractable product and being arranged for preparing a consumable beverage in a beverage preparation device.
Such a cup-shaped body and such a capsule are described in international patent application with application number PCT/EP2011/062738 and with title “Device, system and method for preparing a beverage from a capsule”. More in particular, is can be derived from PCT/EP2011/062738 that it describes a cup-shaped body comprising:                a circumferential wall around a reference axis,        a first end wall closing the circumferential wall at a first end of the cup-shaped body, and        an open second end, opposite the first end, allowing for filling the cup-shaped body through said open second end with said extractable product so as to form said capsule when the thus filled cup-shaped body is closed with a second end wall at said open second end;        wherein:        for reference purposes in relation to the cup-shaped body, a first direction along said reference axis is defined as being directed from the first end towards the open second end, and a second direction along said reference axis is defined as being opposite to the first direction, the first end wall comprises a portion being deepened in the first direction, said deepened portion thus forming a first recessed space on the second direction side of the first end wall, and        the first end wall comprises a projection protruding from said deepened portion into said first recessed space.        
In PCT/EP2011/062738 said projection of said first end wall of said cup-shaped body functions as an actuating member of the capsule formed with the cup-shaped body, which actuating member is engageable with a switching member of a flow control unit of the beverage preparation device. PCT/EP2011/062738 describes various uses of said engagement between said projection and said beverage preparation device. Such a device is also described in PCT/EP2011/062740.
For a good understanding of the present invention, such uses of said engagement between said projection and said beverage preparation device are not of particular relevance and are therefore not described in detail herein. Instead, the present invention substantially relates to the particular cup-shaped body whose first end wall comprises said deepened portion and said projection in the way as recited above.
In the production process of the capsules, each time an individual cup-shaped body is filled with said extractable product and a capsule is formed by closing the thus filled cup-shaped body with a second end wall at said open second end of the cup-shaped body. Clearly, huge numbers of capsules are being processed and consequently huge numbers of cup-shaped bodies have to be provided. Therefore, it is desirable that the huge numbers of cup-shaped bodies are compactly stackable relative to one another, for purposes of storage, transport, and various other operations with the cup-shaped body, such as supplying the cup-shaped bodies to filling equipment for filling them with extractable product.
It is an object of the invention to provide a solution according to which cup-shaped bodies whose first end walls comprise said deepened portions and said projections, in the way as recited above, are stacked compactly and reliably.
For that purpose, the invention provides a cup-shaped body for a capsule, the capsule containing an extractable product and being arranged for preparing a consumable beverage in a beverage preparation device, the cup-shaped body comprising:                a circumferential wall around a reference axis,        a first end wall closing the circumferential wall at a first end of the cup-shaped body, and        an open second end, opposite the first end, allowing for filling the cup-shaped body through said open second end with said extractable product so as to form said capsule when the thus filled cup-shaped body is closed with a second end wall at said open second end;        wherein:        for reference purposes in relation to the cup-shaped body, a first direction along said reference axis is defined as being directed from the first end towards the open second end, and a second direction along said reference axis is defined as being opposite to the first direction,        the first end wall comprises a portion being deepened in the first direction, said deepened portion thus forming a first recessed space on the second direction side of the first end wall,        the first end wall comprises a projection protruding from said deepened portion into said first recessed space,        the cup-shaped body is formed such that identical specimens of the cup-shaped body are slidable, along said reference axis, into one another so as to form a stack of said specimens, said slidability being such that a first specimen of said specimens can be slided in the second direction and with its first end in front through the open second end of a second specimen of said specimens and into said second specimen, and        the deepened portion of the first end wall is formed to comprise abutment structure having an abutment condition in which the extent of said slidability of said first specimen into said second specimen is limited by abutment of said abutment structure of said second specimen with the first end wall of said first specimen.        
Thanks to said slidability and the above recited abutment structure of the deepened portion of the first end wall it is possible to form a stack of (huge numbers of) identical specimens of the cup-shaped body.
In a preferable embodiment it is prevented in said abutment condition that said projection of said first specimen touches said second specimen, even in case said projection protrudes in the second direction as far as the farthermost point of the first end wall of said first specimen.
This way it is prevented that due to the stacking the projections would deform or break. Also it is prevented that for example the deepened portions would deform or break due to pushing contacts between projections and deepened portions, which pushing contacts might easily occur by way of chain reaction throughout the whole stack.
In another preferable embodiment said projection touches the second specimen in said abutment condition. Said touching may for example be in a bearing manner, in which case said projection functions as part of the abutment structure.
However, in another preferable embodiment, said projection just touches the second specimen without bearing said second specimen in said abutment condition.
Preferably, said abutment structure comprises at least one rib providing said abutment, the at least one rib being situated on that side of said deepened portion of the first end wall that faces away from said first recessed space. Such at least one rib may be of various types, such as a rib which extends circumferentially around the reference axis, e.g. a rib in the form of a flange. Alternatively or additionally it is advantageous to apply at least one such rib having a longitudinal rib direction whose component projected along the reference axis is as large as possible. The last mentioned rib provides high resistance of the cup-shaped bodies in a stack against forces occurring within the stack parallel to the reference axis.
In another preferable embodiment, said abutment structure comprises at least one second rib providing said abutment, the at least one second rib being situated on that side of said deepened portion of the first end wall that faces towards said first recessed space.
In a further, preferable embodiment of the invention the deepened portion of the first end wall comprises a protruding part protruding into the first direction in such manner that the protruding part of the second specimen in said abutment condition protrudes into the first recessed space of the first specimen. Such a protruding part promotes accurate in-line placement of adjacent cup-shaped bodies being in said abutment condition within the stack.
Preferably, the cup-shaped body is further arranged such that in said abutment condition the minimum radial distance between said protruding part of the second specimen and the deepened portion of the first end wall of the first specimen decreases when measuring said minimum radial distance farther in the second direction along the reference axis, said minimum radial distance at a considered location along the reference axis being defined as taken in radial direction relative to the reference axis. Such a decreasing minimum radial distance promotes ease of bringing the protruding part of the second specimen into the first recessed space of the first specimen. Thanks to this decreasing minimum radial distance the abovementioned accurate in-line placement of adjacent cup-shaped bodies in said abutment condition is achieved automatically when the two specimens are being slided into each other.
Preferably, the protruding part is partly deepened in the second direction, thus forming a second recessed space on the first direction side of the protruding part in such manner that the projection of the first specimen in said abutment condition protrudes into the second recessed space of the second specimen. This allows for applying projections which are protruding relatively far in the second direction.
In a further, preferable embodiment of the invention the cup-shaped body is further arranged such that in said abutment condition of said abutment structure there also is abutment between the circumferential wall of said first specimen and the circumferential wall of said second specimen, said abutment of said circumferential walls being effective:                farther in the first direction than where the abutment of said abutment structure is effective, most preferably as far as possible away from where the abutment of said abutment structure is effective, and        in at least three locations being angularly spaced relative to one another in circumferential direction around the reference axis, said angular spacing being such that in each of three complementary 120 degrees circumferential sectors around the reference axis there exists at least one of said at least three locations. Said additional abutment, i.e. the abutment of said circumferential walls, being effective farther in the second direction than where the abutment of said abutment structure is effective, promotes a stable in-line placement of adjacent cup-shaped bodies being in said abutment condition within the stack. Thereby, bending movements, especially of very long stacks consisting of large numbers of stacked cup-shaped bodies are restricted.        
In a further, preferable embodiment of the invention, said abutment structure comprises a rilled surface of said deepened portion, said rilled surface providing said abutment. Such a rilled surface may be of various types. At least one rill of such a rilled surface may for example extend circumferentially around the reference axis. Alternatively or additionally it is advantageous to apply at least one such rill having a longitudinal rill direction whose component projected along the reference axis is as large as possible. The last mentioned rill provides high resistance of the cup-shaped bodies in a stack against forces occurring within the stack parallel to the reference axis.
These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter by way of non-limiting examples only and with reference to the schematic figures in the enclosed drawing.